Geology Commons^™

Bacterial Diversity And Function Within An Epigenic Cave System And Implications For Other Limestone Cave Systems, Kathleen Merritt Brannen-Donnelly

Doctoral Dissertations

There are approximately 48,000 known cave systems in the United States of America, with caves formed in carbonate karst terrains being the most common. Epigenic systems develop from the downward flow of meteoric water through carbonate bedrock and the solutional enlargement of interconnected subsurface conduits. Despite carbonate karst aquifers being globally extensive and important drinking water sources, microbial diversity and function are poorly understood compared to other Earth environments. After several decades of research, studies have shown that microorganisms in caves affect water quality, rates of carbonate dissolution and precipitation, and ecosystem nutrition through organic matter cycling. However, limited prior …

Understanding Acceptable Level Of Risk: Incorporating The Economic Cost Of Under-Managing Invasive Species, Alisha D. Davidson, Chad L. Hewitt, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Management of nonindigenous species includes prevention, early detection and rapid response and control. Early detection and rapid response depend on prioritizing and monitoring sites at risk for arrival or secondary spread of nonindigenous species. Such monitoring efforts require sufficient biosecurity budgets to be effective and meet management or policy directives for reduced risk of introduction. Such consideration of risk reduction is rarely considered, however. Here, we review the concepts of acceptable level of risk (ALOR) and associated costs with respect to nonindigenous species and present a framework for aligning risk reduction priorities with available biosecurity resources. We conclude that available …

Mcicsl Newsletter - November 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Partners Recognized for Water Quality Research at Mammoth Cave National Park and Increasing Diversity in the Geosciences

Texas A&M – Galveston Students Participate in Citizen Science at Mammoth Cave National Park

Northern Kentucky University and the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning to Host Partners in the Parks Program at Mammoth Cave National Park

as well as education and research highlights, and MCICSL symposium information

A Bat-Guano-Derived Δ15N And Δ13C Record Of Paleoenvironmental Change: Zidită Cave, Romania, Daniel Martin Cleary

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because nitrogen isotopes are fractionated along the soil-plant-insect-bat-guano pathway, it may be possible to reconstruct environmental and climatic changes reflected in the nitrogen isotopic composition of guano. A 1.5-m core of bat guano from Zidită Cave (western Romania) provides a record of climatic and anthropogenic influence on the regional nitrogen cycle and paleoenvironmental controls on nitrogen transforming processes. Increasing and decreasing trends of nitrogen isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N values) correspond well with changes in the influence of farming practices, deforestation, and forest expansion. These influences likely had a significant effect on the openness of the nitrogen cycle, resulting in …

Seeps And Springs At A Platteville “Observatory” On The River Bluffs, Bj Bonin, Greg Brick, Julia R. Steenberg

Sinkhole Conference 2015

Residential building construction along the Mississippi River bluffs in the 1970s created a unique enclosed outcrop of the Late Ordovician Platteville Formation at Lilydale, Minnesota. This outcrop was examined in early 2013 after a newly-formed spring flooded an elevator shaft the previous year, drawing attention to the foundation conditions. The Lexington Riverside property is a six story condominium complex constructed within the top of the bluff. A two-level underground parking garage was built into the bluff. Bedrock was mechanically excavated to accommodate the construction of the building, creating an unweathered rock surface. The space between the structure and the excavated …

Mcicsl Newsletter - October 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Mercy Academy Begins Study of Mammoth Cave’s Aquatic Habitat

National Network of Research Learning Centers Releases New Strategic Framework

as well as education and research highlights, MCICSL symposium information and FY16 Education report

Mcicsl Newsletter - September 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Citizen Scientists Contribute Over $46,700 of Labor to Mammoth Cave National Park

Federal Agencies Directed to Advance Citizen Science

as well as education and research highlights,and MCICSL strategic planning.

Ecology And Morphology Of The Late Miocene Musk Deer, Longirostromeryx Wellsi (Artiodactyla: Moschidae: Blastomerycinae), Katheryn Y. C. Chen

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Longirostromeryx wellsi, one of the latest surviving members of the extinct clade Blastomerycinae (Artiodactyla: Moschidae), possesses highly derived craniodental morphology that deviates from typical musk deer form. Previous work suggests that the unique anatomy of L. wellsi represents adaptations for occupying open savannas. To test this hypothesis I conduct principal components analysis on five postcranial bones of L. wellsi, comparing them to that of several extant ruminant artiodactyls, which are divided among seven habitat categories. These elements are also compared with the postcrania of other blastomerycines. These analyses indicate that L. wellsi anatomy is most similar to that of other …

Mcicsl Newsletter - August 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Bat Night was a success for education and research

MCICSL participated in national network strategic planning

as well as Summer research opportunities

Factors Affecting Terrigenous Sedimentation In Coastal Bays With Coral Reefs: Implications For Monitoring The Effectiveness Of Watershed Restoration, Whitney Sears

Theses

In the Caribbean, sedimentation has been identified as a serious threat to coral reef communities. Although land-based sediment delivery to coastal waters harboring coral reefs occurs under natural conditions, human activities in the watersheds above reefs increases the erosion and delivery of terrigenous sediment to the reefs. Delivery of terrigenous sediment into marine areas below developed watersheds affects sedimentation rates, alters the composition and texture of sediments that are suspended in the water column, and/or sediments that are deposited on the sea floor and on corals.

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands is an ideal location to study the effects of …

Functional Diversity Of Regional Marine Paleocommunities After The Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction: Case Studies From Panthalassa And Paleo-Tethys, Ashley Ann Dineen

Theses and Dissertations

The Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) was the largest biodiversity collapse in Earth’s history. Published data has been interpreted as indicating that marine ecological devastation following the PTME was protracted and may have lasted 5 million years into the Middle Triassic (Anisian). However, a review of previous literature shows that understanding of biotic recovery is usually based on only a few components of the ecosystem, such as on taxonomic diversity, a single genus/phylum, or shallow water facies. Typically, paleocommunities are considered fully recovered when dominance and diversity are regained and normal ecosystem functioning has resumed. However, to more fully characterize Triassic …

Stable Isotope Analysis Of Bison Latifrons And Paleoecological Inferences, Fabian Ceron Hardy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bison latifrons was a large Pleistocene herbivore that is traditionally hypothesized to have been adapted to living in forest openings and woodlands. According to this view, the species was primarily a browser of high-growing, woody plants. Very little isotopic work has been conducted on this species, and there have been no prior studies of high altitude localities containing this species. This study aims to address both of these issues.

B. latifrons is known from sites in several states, including California, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida, among others. These sites provide diverse examples of this species’ habitat and the opportunity to …

Survival And Growth Rate Of Translocated Freshwater Mussels Lampsilis Fasciola And Medionidus Conradicus, Laura L. Pullum

Masters Theses

Freshwater mussels (Family Unionidae and Margaritiferidae) are a widely threatened group of bivalve molluscs, particularly in the Southeastern United States. Translocation of freshwater mussels is an increasingly common conservation method. However, there are relatively few studies that quantitatively investigate the factors influencing translocation success or failure. In October 2013, hundreds of Medionidus conradicus and Lampsilis fasciola were translocated to the Pigeon and Nolichucky Rivers in Tennessee, with an interim partial survey (June 2014) and a full survey (October 2014). In this study, I analyze this field-collected data to determine the mechanism(s) that currently influence the outcomes of Tennessee mussel translocation. …

Dissolution, Ocean Acidification And Biotic Extinctions Prior To The Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) Boundary In The Tropical Pacific, Serena Dameron

Masters Theses

The several million years preceding the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary has been the focus of many studies. Changes in ocean circulation and sea level, extinctions, and major volcanic events have all been documented for this interval. Important research questions these changes raise include the climate dynamics during the warm, but not hot, time after the decay of the Late Cretaceous greenhouse interval and the stability of ecosystems prior to the mass extinctions at the end-Cretaceous.

I document several biotic perturbations as well as changes in ocean circulation during the Maastrichtian stage of the latest Cretaceous that question whether the biosphere was …

Mcicsl Newsletter - July 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Interns with The Nature Conservancy Participate in Research at Mammoth Cave

Renaissance in Cave Biology Research Underway

as well as Summer research projects, in the news and White-nose Syndrome workshop

Haverstraw Bay Benthic Habitat Characterization, Robert M. Cerrato, Alison M. Flanagan, Roger D. Flood

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution backscatter and bathymetric maps created by multibeam and sidescan sonar surveys were used to identify five different seafloor bottom types within Haverstraw Bay. Grab samples were collected within these areas to characterize sediment properties and macrofauna. Selected sampling locations were revisited and seafloor images were obtained with an HD underwater camera. Multivariate analysis was used to identify the most important factors explaining variations in community structure. Results indicated that categorical variables defining bottom types, grain size, and water depth can explain about 42% of community structure variation. In addition, shell length data collected for Rangia cuneata, an introduced …

Defining The Terroir Of The Columbia Gorge Wine Region, Oregon And Washington, Usa Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis), Hilary Whitney

Dissertations and Theses

The Columbia Gorge Wine Region (CGWR) is an emerging wine producing area that extends for about 100km along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington State in which the number of vineyards, wineries and physical terroir conditions have yet to be defined. To better understand the physical factors affecting Oregon and Washington wine, this project analyzes climate, topography, geology and soil at vineyards in the CGWR. This was accomplished using Geographic Information Systems, existing earth science databases and field work. The region, which includes the Columbia Gorge American Viticulture Area (AVA) and the southwest portion of the Columbia Valley AVA, …

Mcicsl Newsletter - June 2015, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Dayton Regional STEM School participates in 5 citizen science projects over 2 days

Public dye traces provide valuable research knowledge and public engagement

Barren County Middle School students collect dragonfly larvae for multi-park citizen science project

as well as Summer research projects, in the news and new interns.

Paleoecology Of Glacial And Non Glacial Carboniferous Faunas During The Late Paleozoic Ice Age In Patagonia, Nicole Braun

Theses and Dissertations

The Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) records the only icehouse to greenhouse transition in Earth’s history that involved complex marine and terrestrial life and serves as an analogue for Quaternary climate change. Identifying biotic responses to paleoenvironmental variations during the LPIA is important in order to understand how our modern fauna may respond to contemporary climate change. Low-paleolatitude (far-field) marine faunas far from ice centers have been recognized and used as a global proxy for biotic responses to the LPIA, but the biotic responses in high-paleolatitude (near-field) regions close to Gondwanan ice centers have received much less attention. We tested …

Paleoredox Geochemistry And Bioturbation Levels Of The Exceptionally Preserved Early Cambrian Indian Springs Biota, Poleta Formation, Nevada, Usa, Jonah Meron Novek

Theses and Dissertations

The early Cambrian Indian Springs biota, western Nevada, USA exhibits Burgess Shale-type (BST) preservation of a diverse array of animal phyla, including the earliest definitive echinoderms. It therefore provides an important window on animal life during the Cambrian radiation. The objective of this study is to analyze the trace metal paleoredox geochemistry and bioturbation levels of this BST deposit in order to characterize the paleoenvironmental conditions in which these animals lived and their fossils were preserved. A total of 28 rock samples were collected from outcrops at three previously reported intervals of exceptional preservation at the Indian Springs locality, as …

Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures As An Ecological Niche In Subtidal Early Triassic Environments Of Eastern Panthalassa, Erin Wimer

Theses and Dissertations

Early Triassic microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) are a critical link in understanding the dynamics between changing environmental conditions and their effect on marine communities. The Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) resulted in vacated ecospace and reduced bioturbation that allowed MISS to expand into Early Triassic subtidal environments. Data from southern Idaho and Montana indicate that MISS inhabited and proliferated in subtidal marine environments during the Griesbachian. This propagation led to changes in shallow substrate geochemical conditions that directly affected macrofaunal communities. The proliferation of microbial mats would have created anoxic and euxinic porewaters and made vertical bioturbation physiologically difficult. Geochemical …

Cockatoo Sands In The Victoria Highway And Carlton Hill Areas, East Kimberley: Land Capability Assessment For Developing Irrigated Agriculture, Henry Smolinski, Shahab Pathan, Paul Galloway, Kus Kuswardiyanto, Justin Laycock

Resource management technical reports

This report identifies areas of Cockatoo Sands adjacent to the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA), Kununurra, with high potential for developing irrigated agriculture. It builds on a reconnaissance soil survey conducted in 2009 which identified significant areas of sandy and loamy soils in the Kununurra area that could be suitable for agriculture.

The Impact Of Stegastes Planifrons On The Resurgence Of Acropora Cervicornis, Zebulon Martin

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

This study examines resurgent patches of Acropora cervicornis in the “Coral Gardens” back-reef area of Ambergris Caye, Belize. The goal of this study was to understand the carbonate budget and ecosystem dynamics of this successful reef, with an emphasis on the role of Stegastes planifrons (the herbivorous threespot damselfish), on the health of the coral. Benthic survey data from photo-quadrats along six transects were supplemented with counts of S. planifrons, their chimney scars, and sea urchin (Echinometra viridis) to assess their impact on the reef. The data indicate a positive correlation between the density of Stegastes …

Quantifying Channel Responses To The Removal Of The Glines Canyon Dam In The Middle Reach Of The Elwha River, Washington, Bryon J. Free

All Master's Theses

Four different study sites throughout the middle reach of the Elwha River were monitored before, during, and after the dam removal process over a period of two years from 2012-2014. The complexity of the river geometry was a major factor in the ability of the river to trap and accumulate the new influx of woody debris and sediment from the dam removal, which influenced the response of the river channel. The change that occurred was quantified by using repeat Terrestrial LiDAR (TLS), sediment distribution surveys, and large woody debris mapping techniques. The morphologic changes that occurred during this time were …

Ranking Trails Based On Natural Hazards Instead Of Difficulty: A Case Study On Starved Rock State Park, Julia Ryherd

Honors Program Projects

Starved Rock State Park in North-Central Illinois is not topographically flat as are many glaciated areas of Illinois. Its deep canyons and steep valley walls provide the backdrop for a diverse variety of natural hazards. Geologic hazards include steep canyon walls, flooding with erosion events, high elevation vantage points, and rock falls. Other natural hazards include falling tree branches and steep staircases. ArcGIS was used to record locations of both hazards and injuries along the trails and feature classes were made for each hazard. These feature classes were spatially joined and a weighted sum computed to create a hazard rating …

Use Of Esi-Fticr-Ms To Characterize Dissolved Organic Matter In Headwater Streams Draining Forest-Dominated And Pasture-Dominated Watersheds, Yuehan Lu, Xiaping Li, Rajaa Mesfioui, James E. Bauer, R. M. Chambers, Elizabeth A. Canuel, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) has proven to be a powerful technique revealing complexity and diversity of natural DOM molecules, but its application to DOM analysis in grazing-impacted agricultural systems remains scarce. In the present study, we presented a case study of using ESI-FTICR-MS in analyzing DOM from four headwater streams draining forest-or pasture-dominated watersheds in Virginia, USA. In all samples, most formulas were CHO compounds (71.8-87.9%), with other molecular series (CHOS, CHON, CHONS, and CHOP (N, S)) accounting for only minor fractions. All samples were dominated by molecules falling in the lignin-like region (H/C …